Quintilian's Forensic Grief and The Spanish Tragedy

Abstract:This article argues that The Spanish Tragedy's treatment of grief is inspired by classical forensic rhetoric, the guidelines for which demand the self-inculcation of emotion in the service of persuasion. Of particular interest is book 6 of Quintilian's The Orator's Education, which presents paternal grief for a dead son as a topos for imitation and inspiration, along with a number of courtroom practices that shape Thomas Kyd's presentation of Hieronimo. I suggest that Kyd drew on Quintilian in order to authorize his play, in part by positioning it as the rightful inheritor of the classical tradition accessed through the emotions.